Wayfinding Innovations for VA Facilities

U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Office of Construction & Facilities Management

Wayfinding Innovations for VA Facilities

Final Draft

July 17, 2014

October 27, 2014 Revised

Prepared by:

fd2s, Inc. 2021 E 5th Street, Suite 100, Austin, Texas and National Institute of Building Sciences 1090 Vermont Avenue, N.W., Suite 700, Washington, D.C.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements ............................................................................ 1 Executive Summary........................................................................... 3 1. Introduction ................................................................................. 9

1.1 Study Objectives.............................................................................................9 1.2 Integrated Wayfinding Experience Model....................................................9

1.2.1 The Integrated Wayfinding Experience Model Summary...............10 1.2.2 Potential Usage of Wayfinding Technology across the Visitor's Journey......................................................................................................13 1.3 Assessment Criteria for Wayfinding Systems..............................................13 1.4 Key Benefits of Wayfinding Technology for VA Facilities...........................15 2. Wayfinding Technology Strategy ............................................... ..19 2.1 Guiding Principles and Best Practices.........................................................19 2.2 An Integrated Approach: Solution Strategy Model and Recommended Strategies............................................................................................................34 2.2.1 Pre-Trip Planning............................................................................36 2.2.2 Getting to the Facility......................................................................36 2.2.3 Navigating the Facility....................................................................36 2.3 Recommended Strategies...........................................................................36 2.3.1 Platform Strategies..........................................................................37 2.3.2 Design Strategies............................................................................40 2.3.3 Operational Strategies....................................................................42 2.4 Gauging the Complexity of an Environment.............................................44 4. Methodology for Pilot Projects ................................................... 45 5. Recommendations for the VA Signage Design Guide ...................47 Appendix ......................................................................................... 49 Glossary of Terms

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Acknowledgements

This report for the Department of Veterans Affairs is the result of work and input from many departments and individuals. Thanks to the following for their contributions to this report. VA CFM PROJECT TEAM Nancy Zivitz Sussman, Project Manager, Facilities Planning and Development Service, Office

of Facilities Planning, CFM Orest Burdiak, Subject Matter Expert, Principal Interior Designer, CFM Diosdado "Ding" Madlansacay, PMP, Program Manager, Construction Program Management

Service, CFM Noella Bond, Contracting Officer, CFM VA WORK GROUP Shawn Adams, Product Manager, VA Point of Service, VHA James Clayton Bayne, Project Manager, Office of Strategic Integration, VHA Sabrina Clark, Director, Voluntary Services, VHA Mike Davis, Director, VA Point of Service, Chief Business Office/Member Services, VHA Glenn Elliott, Project Manager, National Region, NCA, CFM Nikki Feilner, Interior Designer, VA North Dallas Health Care System, VHA Elizabeth (Lisa) Joyce Freeman, Director, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, VHA Stephen Howard, Interior Designer, Wilmington VAMC, VHA Florence Ingram, Project Manager, VA Point of Service, Chief Business Office, VHA Christine Johnson, Project Manager, Interior Design, Environmental Programs Service, VHA

Office of the DUSH for Operations and Management Jason Nietupski, Chief, Office of Facility Planning and Development, VA Palo Alto Health Care

System, VHA Cynthia Richards, Project Manager, Office of Strategic Integration, VHA Michael Villeneuve, GeoBISL Team Lead, Business Intelligence Service Line, Office of

Operations, Security, and Preparedness SITE VISIT PARTICIPATION, INTERVIEWS, AND FEASIBILITY SESSION PARTICIPANTS Shawn Adams, Product Manager, VA Point of Service, VHA Kevin Becker, Systems Program Specialist, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, VHA Elizabeth Bunn, Program Analyst, CFM Sabrina Clark, Director, Voluntary Services, VHA

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Neil Evans, MD, Office of Informatics and Analytics, Co-director Connected Health Elizabeth (Lisa) Joyce Freeman, Director, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, VHA Stacy Garrett-Ray, MD, Senior Medical Advisor and Lead, New Models of Care, Office of

Strategic Integration, VHA Jeffrey F. Grandon, Program Manager, Media Management Office, VHA Sam Gyulnazarian, Senior FAC Program/Project Manager, Office of Facilities, Access, and

Administration, VBA Jason Lambie, Senior Resident Engineer, CFM Donald Myers, Director, Facilities Standards Service, CFM Jason Nietupski, Chief, Office of Facility Planning and Development, VA Palo Alto Health Care

System, VHA Kara B. Phongphaychit, Major Procurements, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, VHA Kendra Price-Mays, Health Systems Specialist, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, VHA James Romer, Office of Facility Planning and Development, VA Palo Alto Health Care System,

VHA Matt Rutherford, Media Management Office, VHA Lloyd Siegel, Associate Executive Director, Office of Facilities and Planning, CFM Mark Tillotson, Director, National Region, CFM Aubrey Weekes, Director, Environmental Program Service, VHA fd2s WAYFINDING CONSULTING - ENVIRONMENTAL GRAPHIC DESIGN Leslie Wolke, Project Manager Steven L. Stamper, Principal NIBS PROJECT MANAGEMENT Nanne Davis Eliot, Program Director, National Institute of Building Sciences

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Executive Summary

Project Origin and Sponsorship

The idea for this study arose from the VHA 2012 Employee Innovation Competition. Several entries in the Facilities Management category proposed enhancements to wayfinding at VA facilities, including the adoption of emerging technologies. When the innovators chose not to pursue development, the Office of Construction and Facilities Management (CFM) decided to sponsor the idea through the provision of advanced planning funds (APF). CFM initiated a project work group with representatives from a range of VA offices and regions to collaborate on this project.

Wayfinding Definition

Wayfinding is how people find their way to a destination. Traditionally, signs and maps have been the major tools to guide people through an environment.

An expanded definition of wayfinding recognizes that visitors use multiple cues and tools to find their destination--from spatial relationships manifested by the architecture to lighting and interior finishes.

A new class of wayfinding tools has emerged with the technology revolution. Global positioning system (GPS) devices, websites, apps, and on-site touchscreens can be effective tools to help people along their journey. The smartphone has become our own personal navigation device.

The VA Signage Design Guide (SDG) was published and is maintained by CFM and documents VA's approach to wayfinding and signage. It provides guidelines for the design of signs and sign programs for VHA, VBA, and NCA facilities. The SDG helps staff members assess and improve wayfinding at their facilities and provides design elements, sign types, and other material to facilitate signage projects.

Project Goal

VA's commitment to patient-centered care is a primary reason for this investigation into wayfinding innovation: To improve access by providing tools that ease the journey of Veterans traveling to and through VA facilities.

The goal of this initiative is to provide users of the SDG information on state-of-the-art wayfinding technology, including future trends in emerging technology anticipated over the next five years, with the outcome of improving navigation to and through VA facilities by incorporating recommended wayfinding technology in all newly constructed and renovated VA facilities. To accomplish this goal, the project team was charged with identifying the most innovative VA wayfinding programs that incorporate emerging technology, to research and compare these innovative programs to innovative wayfinding systems at public and private sector healthcare systems (comparable to VA), and to make recommendations to VA to guide development of future integrated wayfinding efforts.

Based on investigation and analysis of facilities comparable to VA as well as research into current VA initiatives related to wayfinding, the project team has drafted this report and

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proposes a wayfinding technology strategy for VA facilities that includes best practices, methodologies for pilot projects, and recommendations for enhancements to the SDG. On 22 May 2014, a Feasibility Session was conducted with members of this project team, VA leadership, and other stakeholders to reach consensus on the strategies and recommendations documented here.

Figure 1. Solution Strategy Model

High Level Recommendations: An Integrated Approach Recommendations in this document are structured as a Solution Strategy Model, see figure 1, that shows which existing and proposed wayfinding technology tools a visitor would use on his or her journey to and through a VA facility. This integrated approach to wayfinding recognizes that a visitor may employ a variety of tools to find his or her destination and that different tools are tuned to aid visitors at different points in the journey. Visitors are defined as Veterans, Veteran families and caregivers, and new staff members.

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